Open v closed: the new political divide? – Politics Weekly podcast

Anushka Asthana is joined by Sonia Sodha, Matt Zarb-Cousin and Laura Round to discuss whether British politics has moved beyond a simple left-right division. Plus Stephanie Kirchgaessner reports from Rome on the aftermath of the Italian election

For most of the 20th century, British politics was a battle of left v right. There was a clear divide between those who favoured more state intervention and those who preferred freer markets. The parties tended to split neatly on the issue: Labour on the left, Conservatives on the right.

But things are no longer that simple, at least according to research from a new thinktank, Global Future. To understand the seismic convulsions of Brexit and last year’s general election, it says, you need to look at politics through a different lens: open v closed. That is, those who are open to immigration, new technologies and new ways of doing things versus those who are worried by those things.

We caught up with Andrew Cooper, a former strategist and adviser to David Cameron who sits on Global Future’s advisory board.

Also this week: populists won the day in Italy as anti-establishment parties made massive gains at the expense of the centre-left, creating another big headache for the EU. What does it all mean? We hear from our Rome correspondent, Stephanie Kirchgaessner.

Plus we discuss earliest political memories and influential political women.